The California Public Utilities Commission has rejected a proposed, $621.3 million natural gas pipeline, dubbed the North-South Project, put forward by San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas.

In a 5-0 vote, the commissioners sided with a CPUC administrative law judge who recommended scrapping the project back in April.

"There's a long history here of adequate service, and it just doesn't seem sensible to me that at a time when we're looking at decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels, including natural gas, that we would spend $621 million on a new pipeline," said commissioner Mike Florio.

The project would call for a 36-inch-wide pipeline going 65 miles through the Cajon Pass and connect Adelanto to Moreno Valley, which SDG&E and SoCalGas say would increase reliability for customers.

A 24-page document defining the decision was put forward by Karl J. Bemesderfer acknowledging a need for more system-wide reliability, the administrative law judge has said that three other companies are offering alternatives that were less expensive, offered fewer potential safety hazards and lower environmental risks.